Nichushkin in car accident before game, held out of 5-2 win over Capitals as precaution, coach says

By Canadian Press on January 19, 2026.

DENVER (AP) — Colorado forward Valeri Nichushkin was involved in a car accident on his way to the rink Monday and was held out of the Avalanche’s 5-2 victory over Washington as a precaution.

Coach Jared Bednar said after the game that Nichushkin got checked out at the facility and suffered minor injuries but that “everything seems to be OK.”

“Just not good enough to play tonight,” Bednar said. “We’ll see what tomorrow brings for him.”

Bednar didn’t have much information other than saying the roads were icy after an overnight snowfall and that it was a multi-vehicle accident.

“It was a fender bender, but serious enough to keep him out of lineup,” Bednar said. “I’m sorry, I don’t know all the details.”

Nichushkin missed eight games this season with a lower-body injury. He has 11 goals and 16 assists.

The 30-year-old Nichushkin drew a suspension of at least six months in May 2024 and placed in Stage 3 of the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program. The announcement came in the middle of Colorado’s playoff run that year, marking the second straight postseason where the right winger was unavailable because of circumstances away from the ice.

He played in just 43 games last season but was still fifth on the team with 21 goals. It was the third 20-goal season of his career.

With Nichushkin being a late scratch, Colorado quickly placed a call to forward Alex Barré-Boulet, who plays for the Colorado Eagles of the American Hockey League. Barré-Boulet made the drive down from Loveland, Colorado — about 60 miles — in time for the game and had an assist on the opening goal by Parker Kelly.

It was Barré-Boulet’s first NHL point since 2023-24 with Tampa Bay.

Colorado is already missing Gabriel Landeskog (upper body), defenseman Devon Toews (upper) and forward Joel Kiviranta (forward). Forward Logan O’Connor has yet to play this season as he recovers from offseason hip surgery.

At 34-5-8, the Avalanche have the best record in the NHL. They’re paced by the scoring prowess of Nathan MacKinnon, who had two goals against the Capitals to give him a league-best 38 this season. He also had an assist to reach 1,100 career points, joining Hall of Famer Joe Sakic as the only players in franchise history to reach that milestone.

“He’s had a hell of a career to this point, and there’s no signs of him slowing down,” Bednar said of MacKinnon. “I’m sure he’s well on his way to another however many points he’s going to get.”

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Pat Graham, The Associated Press

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